Taximeter-fare-counter control



Jan. 25 1927- F. O. GRAY TAXIMETER FARE COUNTER CONTROL Filed May 12. 1923 Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

FREDERICK O. GRAY, OF DAYTON,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OHMER FARE- REGISTER COM- PANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORI?ORATION OF HEVJ YORK.

TAXIMETER-FARE-COUNTER CONTROL.

Application filed May 12.

This invention relates to operating means for a fare registering device for use on a taxic ab these instruments being, commonly known as taxiineters. The primary purpose of such i machines is to register and indicate the fare due from the passenger for a service rendered upon the basis of the distance traveled and the time consumed in waiting. It is cus tomary to make an initial charge upon hiring the vehicle and to so arrange the meter that upon movement of a flag or other signal which indicates that the vehicle is hired. this initial fare will be disclosed on the fare counter; thereafter the fare counter remains idle until the charge against the passenger for the service rendered either in distance traveled or time consumed in waiting. based upon a predetermined rate, has equalled the amount of the initial charge; thereafter the fare counter is actuated intermittently at the beginning of a certain unit of service. say for example, at the beginning of each quarter of a mile or each four minutes of waiting time.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved means for intermittently oper ating the fare counter and, in conjunction therewith, an improved means for retaining said. operating means ineffective until the service rendered has consumed the initial charge.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved latching device for the counter operating mechanism, and improved means for disabling said latching device when the initial fare has been consumed.

A further object of the invention is to rovide improved means associated with a ilag or control shaft for moving the fare counter operating device to position to be engaged by the latching device upon movement of the control shaft to the position it occupies when the vehicle is not in hire.

My invention will be herein described as applied to a taximeter of the type disclosed in Patent 1,136,164. April 20, 1915, to Ohmer and Bridenbaugh, but its utility is not to be construed as limited to this type of. machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the means by which the .t'are counter actuating shaft is driven from the ground wheel. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the devices constituting my invention together with so much of the Ohmer taximeter as is necessary to show the ap- 1923. Serial No. 838,454.

plication of my invention thereto. Fig. 3 is a section of the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the tare counter operating device free from its latch.

The unit. wheel ot the fare counter is operatively connected to a ratchet 1i which is actuated by a pawl 12 pivoted to an arm 13 which is rigidly mounted on a shaft 1 1.

Also carried by the shaft 1 lis an. (:perating arm 15 which is actuated by its engagement with the surfaces of a cam 16 mounted on an actuating shaft 1'5. The o 'ierating arm 15 is pressed toward the cam 16 by a spring 171 which is attached to said arm and to the frame of the machine. The actuating shaft 17 is adapted to be driven at a rate proportional either to the distance traveledby the vehicle or to the time consumed. For the purpose of driving this shaft proportional to distance. the devices in Fig. 1 are provided. The shaft 18 is driven by aliexible shaft and suitable gearing (not shown) from the ground wheel of the vehicle. By means of spring clutch 19. this shatt rotates spindle 20 which carries two worm gears 21 and 22 in mesh respectively with gears 23 and 24. mounted on studs 25 and on the frame plate 27. By means of one way ratchet and pawl devices fully decribed in the patent to Ohmer et a]. above mentioned. gears 23 and 24 drive gears 28 and 29 which intermesh with each other anu are mounted on the studs 25 and 26. A gear 30 carried by an arm 81 is adapted to mesh with gear 28. the arrangement being such that gear 5-30 is rotated in the same direction whether the vehicle moves backward or forward. Rigid with the gear 30 is a pinion 39 which meshes with a gear 533 loosely mounted on the actuating shaft 17. Motion is transmitted from gear 33 to the shaft 17 by means of pawls 3% mounted on the gear 33 and engaging a ratchet 35 rigic with the shaft 17 7' For the purpose of drivii'ig the shaft 17 at a rate proportional to elapsed time. a clock driven gear (not shown) engages a bevel gear 36 mounted on a sleeve 37 which also carries a crown ratchet 38 adapted to be engaged by spring pawls 39 supported on a disk 40 rigid with the shaft 17. It will be seen that the shaft 17 will be rotated bv the ratchet 35 or the ratchet 38. depending upon which of these ratchets has the greater speed. and that while the shaft 17 is being driven IUD bv either of these ratchets, the operated element of the other ratchet mechanism will run ahead of its operating element. A shaft 41 is provided which carries at one end a or signal (not shown). This shaft is rotated through 90 when the Vehicle is hired, this movement performing a number of different functions among which is that of placing the arm 15 in operative relation with its cam 16. When the flag is in for hire position a cam d2 on the flag shaft 11 engages a pin 43 on the arm 15, retaining said arm ineffective. V hen the flag shaft 11 is moved to hired position, the cam 42 moves to the position shown in Fig. but the arm 15 is still retained in ineffective po sition by means which will now be described.

Loosely mounted on the flag or control shaft 41 is a latch 1 having a shoulder at its upper end which is adapted to engage a lug 1-5 projecting from the side of the operating arm 15. The latch i-l is pressed toward latching position by spring a6. For the purpose of disabling this latch and permitting the arm 15 to come in contact with cam 16, and thus actuate the fare counter after the initial fare has been consumed, a pin 17 is innit-ably located upon the cam 16. As shown, the cam 16 has four separate operating surfaces, so that the arm 15, and thus the fare counter, will be actuated four times upon one full rotation of the shaft- 17 and its cam 16. it will be seen that the amount of service to be rendered for the initial fare can be readily varied by placingthe pin .17 upon the different lobes of the cam 16, the only limitation upon this practice being that the amount of service for the initial fare shall not exceed (with the cam shown) four times the amount of service to be rendered for each subsequent unit of fare. It will also be remembered that the actuating shaft 17 is restored to a certain initial position when the flag shaft all is moved to for hire position. The means for this purpose is fully described in the patent to Ohmer ct al. above referred to. Upon rotation of the flag shaft to return of same to for hire position. the cam 42 engages the pin l3 elevating the arm 15 to the position shown in Fig. 3, and the latch 41 is moved to latching position by its spring 46.

The invention is not to be considered as limited to the specific embodiment herein described and illustrated in the drawings, but is to be construed as covering a-ll equivalent devices falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a taximeter comprising a fare counter and a control shaft, actuating mechanism for the fare counter con'iprising a cam, an operating arm adapted to be moved by said cam, a latch for said arm pivotall mounted on said control shaft, means associated with said cam for disabling said latch, and means mounted on said control shaft for restoring said arm to position to be engagml by said latch.

2. In a taximelcr comprising a fare counter and a control shaft, opcratin leans for said counter comprising an arm which partly oncircles said control shaft, a cam mounted on said control shaft, a latch pivoted to said control shaft, said cam being adapted to move said arm to position to be en red and held by said latch and means carried by said cam to trip said latch.

In a taximeter comprising a fare counter and a control shaft, operating means for said counter comprising an arm, a cam adapted to actuate said arm, a latch pivoted to said control shaft and adapted by engagement with a l N on said arm to hold said arm out of contact with said cam, means on said cam for disabling said latch and permitting said arm to move into operative relation with said cam, a cam on said control shaft adapted on rotation thereof to engage a second lug on said arm and restore said arm to position to be engaged by said latch.

1. In a taximeter comprising a fare counter and a control shaft, operating means for saio counter connn-ising an arm which partially encircles said shaft, a lug mounted on said arm and projecting laterally therefrom, a latch pivoted on said control shaft, and comprising a notch adapted to engage said lug, resilient means teusioncd betweei'i said latch and said arm, and tending to move said notch toward said lug, an actuator shaft, a cam on said actuator shaft adapted to oscillate said arm when said notch is out of engagement with said lug and means carried by said cam to trip said latch.

In a taxin'ieter comprising a counter and a control shaft, operating means for said counter comprising an arm, a cam adapted to operate said arm, means for retaining said arm inoperative comprising a device pivoted on said control shaft, means associated with said cam for disabling said retaining means, and means for again rendering said retain ing means effective comprising a cam mounted on said control shaft, and a lug on said arm adapted to be engaged by said cam.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FREDERICK O. GRAY.

till 

